diff --git a/site_ansto/hardsup/aqp_opalstatus.c b/site_ansto/hardsup/aqp_opalstatus.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cf8ea1c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site_ansto/hardsup/aqp_opalstatus.c
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+/* @file aqp_opalstatus.c
+ * @brief 
+ * Implements a simple protocol to GET reactor status using an HTTP/1.1 GET.
+ * It sets the UserAgent as SICS to avoid re-directs because we don't handle them.
+ * If the HTTP status is not OK then it returns the status in the data buffer.
+ */
+#include "../made_config.h"
+#include <sics.h>
+#include <asyncqueue.h>
+
+#define HTTP_OK "HTTP/1.1 200 OK"
+#define HTTP11 " HTTP/1.1\r\n"
+#if defined SICS_VERSION && defined SICS_REVISION
+#define USERAGENT "User-Agent: SICS Version = " SICS_VERSION " Revision = " SICS_REVISION "\r\n"
+#else
+#define USERAGENT "User-Agent: SICS\r\n"
+#endif
+#define HOST "Host: neutron.ansto.gov.au\r\n"
+
+enum replystates {START, HEADER, CHKHEADEREND, MSG}; 
+static pAsyncProtocol OPAL_Protocol = NULL;
+
+static int OPAL_Tx(pAsyncProtocol p, pAsyncTxn txn) {
+  if (txn == NULL) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  txn->txn_status = ATX_ACTIVE;
+  if (AsyncUnitWrite(txn->unit, txn->out_buf, txn->out_len) < 0) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  return 1;
+}
+
+/* The header and message are followed by the character sequences given below,
+ * HEADER cr lf cr lf <msg len> cr lf
+ * MESSAGE cr lf 0x30 cr lf cr lf
+ * So we assume that the header is terminated by two consecutive crlf char
+ * pairs which are eventually followed by another crlf
+ * The message is assumed to be terminated by a crlf pair eventually followed
+ * by two more crlf pairs of characters
+ * Processing is simplified by discarding cr chars and counting lf chars */
+static int OPAL_Rx(pAsyncProtocol p, pAsyncTxn txn, int ch) {
+  int ret = 1;
+  static int nlctr = 0;
+  static enum replystates state = START;
+
+  if (ch == '\r') {
+    return ret;
+  }
+  switch (state) {
+    case START:
+      if (ch == '\n') {
+        /* check HTTP status */
+        if ( strncmp(txn->inp_buf, HTTP_OK, strlen(HTTP_OK) ) == 0 ) {
+          txn->inp_idx = 0;
+          nlctr = 0;
+          state = HEADER;
+        } else
+          ret = AQU_POP_CMD;
+      } else if (txn->inp_idx < txn->inp_len)
+        txn->inp_buf[txn->inp_idx++] = ch;
+      else
+        ret = AQU_POP_CMD;
+      break;
+    case HEADER:
+      if (ch == '\n') {
+        nlctr++;
+        state = CHKHEADEREND;
+      }
+      break;
+    case CHKHEADEREND:
+      if (nlctr == 1 && ch == '\n')
+        nlctr++;
+      else if (nlctr == 1 && ch != '\n') {
+        txn->inp_idx = 0;
+        nlctr = 0;
+        state = HEADER;
+      } else if (nlctr == 2 && ch == '\n') {
+        txn->inp_idx = 0;
+        nlctr = 0;
+        state = MSG;
+      }
+      break;
+    case MSG:
+      if (txn->inp_idx >= txn->inp_len) 
+        ret = AQU_POP_CMD;
+      if (nlctr == 0 && ch != '\n')
+        txn->inp_buf[txn->inp_idx++] = ch;
+      else if (nlctr == 2 && ch == '\n')
+        ret = AQU_POP_CMD;
+      else
+        nlctr++;
+      break;
+  }
+  if (ret == AQU_POP_CMD) {
+    nlctr = 0;
+    state = START;
+  }
+  return ret;
+}
+
+static int OPAL_Ev(pAsyncProtocol p, pAsyncTxn pTxn, int event) {
+  if (event == AQU_TIMEOUT) {
+    pTxn->txn_status = ATX_TIMEOUT;
+    return AQU_POP_CMD;
+  }
+  return AQU_POP_CMD;
+}
+
+/* Append HTTP/1.1 and Host: line to message */
+static int OPAL_PrepareTxn(pAsyncProtocol p, pAsyncTxn txn, const char* cmd, int cmd_len, int rsp_len) {
+  int msglen;
+
+  msglen = cmd_len + strlen(HTTP11) + strlen(USERAGENT) + strlen(HOST) + 3;
+  txn->out_buf = (char*) malloc(msglen);
+  if (txn->out_buf == NULL) {
+    SICSLogWrite("ERROR: Out of memory in OPAL_PrepareTxn", eError);
+    return 0;
+  }
+  strcpy(txn->out_buf, cmd);
+  strcat(txn->out_buf, HTTP11);
+  strcat(txn->out_buf, USERAGENT);
+  strcat(txn->out_buf, HOST);
+  strcat(txn->out_buf, "\r\n");
+  txn->out_len = msglen;
+  txn->out_idx = 0;
+  if (txn->inp_buf != NULL) {
+    free(txn->inp_buf);
+  }
+  txn->inp_len = rsp_len;
+  txn->inp_idx = 0;
+  txn->txn_state = 0;
+  txn->txn_status = 0;
+  return 1;
+}
+
+void OpalStatusInitProtocol(SicsInterp *pSics) {
+  if (OPAL_Protocol == NULL) {
+    OPAL_Protocol = AsyncProtocolCreate(pSics, "OPALSTAT", NULL, NULL);
+    OPAL_Protocol->sendCommand = OPAL_Tx;
+    OPAL_Protocol->handleInput = OPAL_Rx;
+    OPAL_Protocol->killPrivate = NULL;
+    OPAL_Protocol->handleEvent = OPAL_Ev;
+    OPAL_Protocol->prepareTxn = OPAL_PrepareTxn;
+  }
+}
+
diff --git a/site_ansto/hardsup/aqp_opalstatus.h b/site_ansto/hardsup/aqp_opalstatus.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c690fa7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site_ansto/hardsup/aqp_opalstatus.h
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#ifndef AQP_OPALSTATUS_H
+#define AQP_OPALSTATUS_H
+void OpalStatusInitProtocol(SicsInterp *pSics);
+#endif
diff --git a/site_ansto/hardsup/makefile b/site_ansto/hardsup/makefile
index 5915f951..1876cabd 100644
--- a/site_ansto/hardsup/makefile
+++ b/site_ansto/hardsup/makefile
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ HOBJ  += sct_lfprot.o
 HOBJ  += camera.o
 HOBJ  += cameradriver.o
 HOBJ  += sct_asyncqueue.o
+HOBJ  += aqp_opalstatus.o
 
 libhlib.a: $(HOBJ)
 	rm -f libhlib.a
diff --git a/site_ansto/instrument/config/source/reactor_status.sct b/site_ansto/instrument/config/source/reactor_status.sct
index 858a5307..b4ece185 100644
--- a/site_ansto/instrument/config/source/reactor_status.sct
+++ b/site_ansto/instrument/config/source/reactor_status.sct
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ driver reactor_status = {
     var status = {
       type = text;
       priv = spy;
-      readable = 10;
-      read_command = 'GET /Bragg/proposal/reactor.jsp?type=ALL HTTP/1.0';
+      readable = 30;
+      read_command = 'GET /Bragg/proposal/reactor.jsp?type=ALL';
       read_function = rdAll;
       fetch_function = getState;
       data = false;
diff --git a/site_ansto/instrument/config/source/sct_reactor_status.tcl b/site_ansto/instrument/config/source/sct_reactor_status.tcl
index 5fdbc749..40e5b5c5 100644
--- a/site_ansto/instrument/config/source/sct_reactor_status.tcl
+++ b/site_ansto/instrument/config/source/sct_reactor_status.tcl
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ proc ::scobj::reactor_status::mk_sct_reactor_status { sct_controller name } {
     hsetprop ${scobj_hpath}/power nxalias "${name}_power"
 
     hfactory ${scobj_hpath}/status plain spy text
-    hsetprop ${scobj_hpath}/status read ${ns}::getState ${scobj_hpath} rdAll {GET /Bragg/proposal/reactor.jsp?type=ALL HTTP/1.0}
+    hsetprop ${scobj_hpath}/status read ${ns}::getState ${scobj_hpath} rdAll {GET /Bragg/proposal/reactor.jsp?type=ALL}
     hsetprop ${scobj_hpath}/status rdAll ${ns}::rdAll ${scobj_hpath}
     hsetprop ${scobj_hpath}/status control false
     hsetprop ${scobj_hpath}/status data false
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ proc ::scobj::reactor_status::mk_sct_reactor_status { sct_controller name } {
     hsetprop ${scobj_hpath} data "true"
 
     if {[SplitReply [opal_simulation]]=="false"} {
-      ${sct_controller} poll ${scobj_hpath}/status 10
+      ${sct_controller} poll ${scobj_hpath}/status 30
     }
     hsetprop ${scobj_hpath} klass NXsource
 # hook code starts
diff --git a/site_ansto/instrument/config/source/source.tcl b/site_ansto/instrument/config/source/source.tcl
index 898d92a9..3aca40ae 100644
--- a/site_ansto/instrument/config/source/source.tcl
+++ b/site_ansto/instrument/config/source/source.tcl
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 fileeval $cfPath(source)/sct_reactor_status.tcl
 
 if {[SplitReply [opal_simulation]]=="false"} {
-  MakeAsyncProtocol std
-  std sendterminator \r\n\r\n
-  std replyterminator 0x03
-  MakeAsyncQueue aqreactor std portal.nbi.ansto.gov.au 80
+  MakeAsyncQueue aqreactor OPALSTAT neutron.ansto.gov.au 80
   aqreactor timeout 2000
 }
 add_reactor_status source aqadapter aqreactor
diff --git a/site_ansto/instrument/server_config.tcl b/site_ansto/instrument/server_config.tcl
index dee2ee3f..425e685b 100644
--- a/site_ansto/instrument/server_config.tcl
+++ b/site_ansto/instrument/server_config.tcl
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ set quieckport    60004
 # icsval column = settings when running on the Instrument Control Server (ie SICS_SIMULATION not defined)
 # fakedev column = settings for test platforms (ie SICS_SIMULATION=fakedev)
 foreach {simflag         icsval    fakedev} {
-  opal_simulation        true      true 
+  opal_simulation        false     true 
   detector_simulation    false     true 
   hmm_simulation         false     true 
   environment_simulation false     true 
diff --git a/site_ansto/site_ansto.c b/site_ansto/site_ansto.c
index 0ec14b47..1f77076d 100644
--- a/site_ansto/site_ansto.c
+++ b/site_ansto/site_ansto.c
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 #include "lssmonitor.h"
 #include "beamstopaction.h"
 #include "cameradriver.h"
+#include "aqp_opalstatus.h"
 
 /*@observer@*//*@null@*/ pCounterDriver CreateMonCounter(/*@observer@*/SConnection *pCon, /*@observer@*/char *name, char *params);
 
@@ -351,6 +352,7 @@ static void AddCommands(SicsInterp *pInter)
   ORHVPSInitProtocol(pInter);
   LS340InitProtocol(pInter);
   CameraInitProtocol(pInter);
+  OpalStatusInitProtocol(pInter);
   AddCommand(pInter,"InstallProtocolHandler", InstallProtocol,NULL,NULL);
   AddCommand(pInter,"hostnam",hostNamCmd,NULL,NULL);
   AddCommand(pInter,"portnum",portNumCmd,NULL,NULL);